"We're not here to rob you," Xu Mu said coolly.
"Then you're here to rob… something else? I mean, senior—can your old bones even handle it?"
Zhou Xia curled her lip in mockery.
The Yin–Yang Sect judges by looks, too. With a crusty old man? She had zero interest.
Still, she didn't always get to choose. Judging by how fast this "old man" had moved—snatching her here before she could react—his strength was no joke. If resistance was useless, then she might as well enjoy it.
"You're overthinking it. We're not here to rob anything. We're here on the Dragon King's orders—to kill you."
As Xu Mu spoke, he lifted his hand. In the darkness, dark-red motes of light bloomed in his palm.
Zhou Xia's pupils shrank. Terror flooded her face. "How does Ye Chen know me?"
Xu Mu smiled. Just as he'd suspected—her "Ye Chen" was the Dragon King.
"I have a flaw—I like my targets to die understanding why," Xu Mu said evenly. "So talk. Why are you here, and what's your mission?"
"Our sect master sent me. He said Ye Chen is currently in Jiang City and told me to monitor his movements," Zhou Xia answered.
"Monitor him for what?"
"I really don't know. The sect only told me to keep watch. No further orders yet," she said, shaking her head.
Xu Mu considered this, then asked, "So the Dragon King has a grudge with your sect?"
"Honestly, I'd never heard of him before. I only learned from the dossier the sect master gave me."
She smiled faintly. "You two aren't Ye Chen's people, are you?"
"Of course we are," Xu Mu replied in the elder's rasp.
"If you were, would you really not know whether Ye Chen and our sect are enemies?" Zhou Xia smiled. "Please spare me. When the next order comes down, I'll inform you."
With that, she lowered herself and knelt on the ground.
"You're pretty smart," Xu Mu said mildly.
"Of course, Brother Mu."
Zhou Xia lifted her head again.
Xu Mu's brows knit. He stepped back in a flash—just a heartbeat of thought told him where he'd slipped.
"You're not just clever—you're very clever. You peeked at my shoes, didn't you?"
As he spoke, he dropped the old-man voice and returned to normal.
Chen Xuan silently marveled at her craftiness. He'd anticipated two possibilities: she was truly begging for mercy—or she'd try a sudden ambush while kneeling. He hadn't expected her to dip her head just to check their footwear. Their black robes didn't trail on the ground; otherwise they'd step on the hems and move clumsily.
"That's right. Your heights made me suspicious, but your voices were so different," Zhou Xia said. "And you kept asking about my connection with Ye Chen—that was exactly what you asked at my house."
Xu Mu tugged off his hood. "So you know who I am. And?"
"What I said wasn't a lie. If I get a new assignment, I'll tell you. To show my sincerity, I'm willing to offer you my precious body. If you both want in, we can discuss that too."
"'Precious'? Dream on. We don't eat leftovers from a hundred households."
Xu Mu's tone was flat. "Stand up. I'll admit your words moved me. If new orders come down, inform me."
"Thank you, Brother Mu," Zhou Xia said, rising.
"Don't call me 'Brother.' My name is Xu Mu. Use that," he said with a wave. "Where do you go every night?"
"I check spots where Ye Chen might be and see if he shows. After that, I hit the clubs," she answered truthfully.
"Got it."
Xu Mu took out his phone, exchanged contact info with her, then let her go.
Once she'd ridden off, Xu Mu turned to Chen Xuan. "I'll take you home. I'll find you a new place tomorrow."
"Brother Mu, who is this Ye Chen you keep mentioning?" Chen Xuan asked, curious.
"My enemy—the biggest threat to me right now," Xu Mu said after a moment's thought.
He was improving, and so was Ye Chen. If he wanted to move first, he'd at least need to reach the Grandmaster Realm.
"Then I'll stay. I can keep an eye on her," Chen Xuan said with a grin. "She knows we're not easy to mess with. She won't provoke us for no reason."
Xu Mu considered, then nodded. "Alright."
He suspected that, with her cover blown, Zhou Xia might not even come back—meaning she wouldn't be a problem for Chen Xuan.
They returned to the car. Xu Mu drove Chen Xuan home. Before leaving, he retrieved the pinhole camera across the street—no sense wasting good gear.
Merging onto the main road, he was about to head home when he spotted a woman in red waving from the shoulder.
Even with his high beams on, he couldn't see her clearly—so he opened his spiritual sense and scanned.
She wore a dark-red pleated dress, skin pale as snow, black hair pinned with a fiery phoenix hair clip.
Her eyes were like a cat's, glimmering with moisture. Her features were noble, but there was a willful edge to them—someone not easy to get along with.
She held a longsword, and from her posture, she seemed injured.
Xu Mu pulled over and rolled down the passenger window. "What's wrong?"
"Can you take me to a hospital in the city? I'll pay you," the woman said evenly.
Xu Mu gave her a quick look with the Divine Eye.
A woman carrying a sword in the middle of the night—definitely not ordinary.
Name: Lin Qianzhu
Role: Daughter of the Heavenly Sword Sect's Sect Master; Female Lead of The Evil Deity Released from Prison
Favorability: 0
Fate Level: 8 (Max 10)
"…What the—?"
Xu Mu was stunned.
Seriously? He hadn't even dealt with the Dragon King yet, and now an Evil Deity plotline showed up?
And locked up in prison, at that—embarrassing much?
Still, he'd read a few novels like this before. Usually, when the male lead was imprisoned, he started as an ordinary guy, then met big-shots behind bars who taught him secret arts.
After release, he'd start flexing, climb step by step, and eventually become the "Evil Deity."
"Watch your mouth. If you won't give me a ride, fine—but why insult me?" Lin Qianzhu snapped, frowning.
[Favorability -2]
"I'm not insulting you. It's just… carrying a sword in the middle of the night—you had me worried you were a robber," Xu Mu said.
Realization dawned on Lin Qianzhu. "Don't worry. The sword's for self-defense."
"Self-defense with a sword? Hardcore."
Xu Mu unlocked the door. "Get in. I'll take you to the hospital. Keep your money."